Second Chance Mama ReaderxYoung Chibi 2p Countries
by hopeofabrightfuture
Summary: You were a naturally generous person who couldn't stand seeing children suffer. That was partly why you had taken a job in the foster care system. It was also partly why when you noticed children without a home that you opened up yours. The culture called them lost causes. Useless. The dregs of society. You knew otherwise. "No matter how vile, everyone deserves a second chance."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've really wanted to do something cute so one night (one late night) I wrote this. I don't usually write for the 2p! countries but I really wanted to show that just because they're dark that doesn't mean they're evil. Let me know how I do okay?**

"_No matter how vile, everyone deserves a second chance…"_

You were the sort of person everyone categorized as soft hearted and naïve. Being such, it was not unusual for you to bring home small animals that had been abandoned. In fact, your friends thought it was cute. It was part of who you were.

On a blustery day in late October, you were walking through the park near your house. You had just gotten off of work as your boss had been willing to pay you overtime for you to work three extra hours. The park was quiet and deserted which was rather odd. Sure it was a bit late, seven o'clock, but usually there were at least some high school students hanging out at the picnic tables. You were almost out of the park when you heard it, the sound of a child crying. Your heart gave a painful squeeze. You could never stand the sound of someone in pain, especially children.

Guided by your ears alone, you picked your way through the playground equipment and over to the shuddering form sitting alone on a bench. You crouched before the child and placed a hand on his knee.

"Hey there," You whispered, hoping not to startle the poor kid, "you okay?" The crying child brought his head up and looked at you. He appeared to be no more than seven with large electric blue eyes that had a touch of pink the closer they grew to the pupil and light shaggy blonde that also had pinkish tint.

"Who-Who are you?" He choked out.

"I'm (Name)," You said, "What's your name?"

"Oliver." He said looking away from you. You smiled sweetly at the little boy.

"What a cute name. Why are you crying Oliver?"

"Because my family said they didn't want me. They said I was a freak so they locked me out of the house. They said they don't ever want to see me again because no one has hair and eyes like mine." He sniffled.

"Aw, sweetie," Reflexively you drew him into a hug. Oliver stiffened in your embrace. "It's okay. It's going to be okay." Tentatively, Oliver placed his own little arms around you. He had never been hugged before, not even by his own mother. You pulled back to look at the boy.

"Listen, I know what adults say about not talking to strangers or going home with them but I can't just leave you alone out here by yourself; it wouldn't be right. You can stay at my place for a while if you want." Oliver smiled brightly up at you, eyes filled with hope.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Of course. I'm going to have to speak with Child Services but you can totally stay with me." You stood up and Oliver hopped off the bench.

"How long can I stay with you?"

"For as long as you want." Oliver thought about this a moment. You were being kind to him but you weren't totally treating him like he couldn't think for himself. He decided he liked you. Oliver was beginning to think being kicked out of his home wasn't so bad after all.

"Forever."

"Excuse me?" You stopped and gazed down at Oliver.

"I want to stay with you forever." He said confidently. After his words had sunk in, a broad smile graced your face.

"Forever, huh? Sounds good to me. But I really need to talk with Child Services now." At you words, Oliver frowned. "After all, if I'm going to do this I'll need to do this right."

"Do what right?"

"Why adopt you of course." You said.

"You mean it?"

"I don't joke about these kinds of things Oliver."

"Then can I call you Mommy?" You were silent, turning the new title over in your mind.

"I don't see why not. Mommy…hmm, I kind of like the sound of that." Oliver slipped his little hand into yours started to tug you in the general direction you had been heading.

"C'mon Mommy, let's go home." You grinned. You had no idea how you were going to explain this one to your friends.

**I'll do France next.**


	2. Chapter 2

2p!France

"Mommy, are you sure you are doing it right?" Oliver, the boy you had recently taken into your home, asked you. You glared down at the charred contents of the skillet. You were an excellent cook; you just had no skill when it came to learning something new.

"Sweetie, it takes Mommy as few tries to make it eatable." You said. "How about we go out for dinner instead?" Oliver grinned up at you.

"Okay."

"Great." You quickly snatched up your purse and car keys and herded Oliver out to your car. It was a short drive to the diner; a quaint little place a few blocks from your house that you and Oliver both adored. You were both inside when Oliver tugged on your jacket.

"Mommy, I forgot my bowtie in the car." You smiled and ruffled his hair.

"M'kay, do you want to get it yourself or do you want me to come with you?"

"I can go alone Mommy."

"Okay, be quick, I'll order for you while you're gone. The usual, right?" Oliver nodded his head before dashing out the doors and heading back to the car.

Oliver's POV

I felt so happy that my new mommy, (Name), was letting me go to the car by myself! Talk about a show of trust. I made my way over to the car and got my bright pink bowtie without any problems. It wasn't until I was heading back toward the diner that the trouble started. These older boys, high school students probably, blocked my path. They had been hanging out in the alley so I didn't see them.

"Hey freak," the big one said, "what's up with the lame tie?" I checked behind myself to see the poor bloke that they were making fun of only there was no one behind me.

"Pardon me," I said politely, (Name) was always talking about how it was very important to be polite and nice to everyone, "are you talking to me?"

"Sure are, pipsqueak." Said the second one.

"What's the deal with the freaky looking tie?" The first one asked again. I smiled down at my bowtie and stroked it lovingly.

"Bowties are cool!" I said. The older boys exchanged a look before they pushed me into the alley. By this time, I was beginning to fret. What if (Name) got worried about me? How was I going to get out of this one? Suddenly a new voice spoke up.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to pick on midgets?" The voice sounded hard and uncaring but, I reminded myself, the owner of that voice must be a nice person if they were helping me.  
"Oh yeah? What do you care?" The second boy asked. The unknown voice let out a harsh laugh that sounded like shattering glass. When they didn't get a response, the two boys leapt at the unknown voice. There were two sharp cries then both boys were on the ground. I crept closer to the mouth of the alley to try to get a look at my savior. My curious eyes were met with a boy of about ten years of age with greasy blonde hair and tired looking blue eyes, smoking a cigarette. Just as he started walking away, I called after him.

"Hey wait!" He turned.

"What?" He sounded annoyed.

"What's your name?"

"Jacques Bonnefoy."

"I'm Oliver (Last name), formerly Oliver Kirkland. I just wanted to- Hey! Where are you going?" Midway through Oliver's speech, Jacques had started to walk away.

"What's it look like? I'm leaving."

"B-But I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me and my mother." Jacques considered the invitation before shrugging.

"Whatever, it's not like I've got anything better to do." Together Jacques and Oliver walked inside the diner.

Your POV

You stared intensely at Oliver's quickly cooling plate of food.

"He should have been back by now," you muttered.

"Mommy?" You looked up to see Oliver standing a little away from the table, looking at you with worry in his eyes.

"Oliver, I was beginning to worry about you. Where have you been?" Oh dear, you truly had become a mother. Oliver smiled sheepishly as he slid into the booth opposite you.

"Well, I went to the car, got my bowtie, got held up by some meanies, and-"

"What?! Did they hurt you?" You demanded, looking him over carefully.

"No, Jacques saved me."

"Who?"

"Me." Jacques said sliding into the booth beside Oliver.

"I see…" You didn't know what it was, but something about Jacques reminded you of Oliver, which was odd considering there were no similarities. You stared at Jacques until he grew uncomfortable and looked away from you.

"You don't have a place to stay do you?" You asked bluntly. Jacques looked up at you, surprised.

"What makes you think that?"

"Your clothes, you smell like you haven't showered in a while, and there's something in your eyes. Tell you what, you saved my Oliver and to show my thanks you can come live with me and Ollie."

"I don't need charity." Jacques snarled. You rolled your eyes.

"Maybe you don't but why look a gift horse in the mouth?"

"What?"

"Never mind. It's a good deal honestly, free food, a warm place to stay; it's great except for the soul sucking demon that lives in the basement." Jacques gave you a calculating look, attempting to figure out if you were kidding. "So, what do you say?" Jacques shrugged.

"Free food." Was all he said.

**Does anyone know if 2p!China say 'aru'?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It took me a long time to work on this. I couldn't quite get it right. The finishing touches were put on this at one in the morning so sorry if it sucks. Even if it does suck let me know what you think; reviews make me happy.**

2p!China

Oliver gazed up at the huge wooden door of Ms. Rasputin, the woman who was handling (Name)'s adoption request.

"Everything will be fine." Jacques said.

"But what if they say she can't have us?"

"They won't. (Name)'s a fine woman. She's got a more than decent job and she cares. How many people do you know who would just take strange kids off the street and accept them as her own?"

"None." Oliver admitted. The door to Ms. Rasputin's office and you strolled out clutching a manila envelope.

"Well boys, ready to go home?" You asked. Oliver leaped up with Jacques following more slowly.

"What did they say?" Oliver asked nervously. You ruffled Oliver's hair affectionately and grinned widely at him.

"See for yourself." You handed him the envelope. Ripping it open, Oliver all but squealed in delight when he read the legal document.

"You're my mother! I have a mother now! Yippee!" Oliver shouted as he danced a circle around you. Jacques was less vocal but you could tell he was pleased. At last he had a place to call home. Although having to babysit Oliver was a bit of a drawback…

"Come on, let's go out to eat tonight. We need to celebrate!" You cheered as you and your new sons headed out to your car.

Third POV

The boy was roughly shoved against the wall,

"Where's my money kid?" The man demanded. The boy shrugged.

"I don't have it."

"Not good enough." The man drew back his fist. The boy flinched. Loan sharks are horrible to deal with when you owed them more than a penny. The boy owed them nearly a hundred thousand dollars.

"I just need more time." The boy gasped.

"You should have thought of that before you borrowed more money from the boss." He drew his fist back to hit the child only to be stopped by someone grabbing his wrist and twisting it so far around that the snap could heard ten feet away.

"Oliver, take this kid to Mom. I can handle this scum from here." A boy with a lower city French accent ordered. A boy with pink tinted blonde hair and blue and pink eyes grabbed the Chinese boy's elbow and escorted him out of the alley. He was led over to a young woman with kind (color) eyes and soft looking (color) hair. She seemed like the motherly type.

"Who's this Oliver?" She asked. Oliver shrugged and opened the car door.

"Mom, he needs to come with us." The French boy came out of the alley and wiped blood from his knuckles onto his pants.

"We need to get out of here. We'll order pizza or something. Just drive. Now." He ordered.

Your POV

You gazed down at the sleeping Chinese boy on your couch. From force of habit, you moved some of the boy's raven black hair out of his face. A pale hand caught your wrist. You gasped in surprise. Blood red eyes stared up at you.

"Where am I?" The boy rasped.

"At my house." You said, attempting to break free of his grip of steel.

"How did I get here?"

"I drove you. Can you let go of my hand?" The boy dropped your wrist like it was a hot coal. "What's your name kid?" You asked.

"My family called me Yao Wang but after they died I changed my name to Mogui Gami."

"Would you prefer Mogui or Yao?" You asked.

"Mogui."

"Do you have a place to stay?" You asked quietly.

"Of course I do!" Mogui shouted indignantly.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well if you ever need a place to stay, my door is always open." Mogui swung his feet onto the cold wood floor.

"No offence lady, but I don't know you. You could be some serial killer who hunts Asian kids. My chances are better alone."

"Like I said, the door's always open." You said standing up. Mogui rolled his red eyes.

"You're a strange one." He stated.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." You said as you walked him to the door.

**China's not going to stay with reader-chan right off the bat. Hey, if every chapter followed the same pattern it would get boring very quickly. Little fun fact, the name I used for 2p!China, Mogui, means 'demon' in either Japanese or Chinese.**

**I think 2p!Russia will come into play next.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry about not updating for a while. I'd like to say I was waiting on inspiration to do this but I just couldn't find a decent name for 2p!Russia. At any rate, the chapter is up now. Let me know what you think.**

2p!Russia

Intense red eyes gazed up at the silent house. He was there. He had to be.

"I'm coming for you Mogui…"

"Nicholas, can we go home? I'm cold." Natalie whimpered. Nicholas snapped a sharp retort at his useless Belarusian sister in Russia and sighed.

"Da. Big brother found the little Asian scumbag who thought he could cheat big brother out of his money. Tomorrow I'm going to pay Mogui a little house call…"

The next day, your POV

"Mommy, where's the boy we brought here last night?" Oliver asked as he hugged your legs. You sighed and set down your mixing bowl.

"Mogui left sweetie." Oliver's blue and pink eyes looked up at you, confused.

"Why?"

"Because he's smart. Little boys and girls shouldn't go home with people they don't know."

"But Mommy, I didn't know you." Oliver was getting more perplexed by the minute.

"That's different. Never ever go with anyone you don't know unless Mommy says it's okay first, got it?"

"Okay!" A knock sounded at the door.

"Jacques, can you get that for me?" You called. A grunt was Jacques's only answer. Seconds later the door was opened. Footsteps came back to the kitchen.

"Who was at the door?" You turned to be greeted by the sight of Jacques being held at gunpoint by a boy not much older than he was. Behind the boy holding your son was a girl with long golden hair and fearful blue eyes. From the way that she gripped her bright pink dress it was obvious that she didn't wish to be in your house.

"Where is Mogui?" Asked the boy holding your son calmly.

"Mogui? He left last night." You responded.

"Lies," the boy hissed, "I know he stayed here."

"I offered him a place here but he refused. I don't know where he is now." The girl tugged on the boy's gray jacket.

"Nickolas, I think the lady's telling the truth." The boy, Nickolas, turned his head to the girl.

"Did I ask what you thought Natalie?!" He snarled. Natalie shrank back and while Nickolas's attention was diverted Oliver snagged the gun out of Nickolas's hand. No longer in danger, Jacques wrestled and pinned Nickolas to the ground.

"Our mother doesn't lie. The kid you're looking for left late last night. About two hours before you came to case our house," Jacques spat.

"He's right," Mogui said from the doorway, "I did leave last night."

"Mogui, what are you doing here?" You asked. Mogui looked at your, red eyes full of unfathomable emotions.

"I came back to warn you that there was a Russian on my tail. Guess I came a little late to the party."

"Get off of me!" Nickolas ordered. Jacques looked at you, asking for permission. You shrugged. Jacques got off of Nickolas and went to stand by you.

"I will tell you what I told you're minion, I'll give you the money when I have it. Until then," Mogui walked over to you and touched your shoulder, "I call sanctuary." You smiled.

"So you decided to take me up on my offer after all."

"Only because he'll kill me if I didn't." Sighing, you turned your back on the children and went back to making breakfast.

"Gee, you sure know how to make a girl feel wanted."

"What's for breakfast?" Nickolas demanded. You spun to face the ten-year-old intruder.

"Pardon me?"

"When. Is. Breakfast?" Nickolas repeated.

"You're joining us?" You asked.

"Until Mogui pays me back, I'll be staying here with my sister, Natalie. Rumor has it that you're hosting an open house for orphaned drifters. My sister and I fit that description perfectly." Perhaps in the future you would need to put restrictions on who you let into your home.

"Alright but no fighting, no blood, no cursing, no bringing people here, and no trying to kill each other while in the confines of my home." Nickolas considered your conditions before nodding.

"Deal." It would appear that you had three more mouths to feed.

**What I want to know is how did you guys know I was going to do 2p!Belarus too. Are you guys like mind readers or something? Two more chapters and the stage will be set… who to do next?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I stayed up late working on this so I hope you like it.**

2p!America and 2p!Canada

"What was that? You call that breakfast?" Nickolas complained as he spat out a chewed piece of French toast. You slouched in a kitchen chair and sighed. Nickolas was proving quite difficult to win over. Oliver immediately jumped to your defense.

"Mommy's food is the best! Don't you dare say otherwise!" Jacques and Mogui nodded their head in agreement.

"(Name)'s an excellent mother." Jacques said disinterestedly.

"Yeah and she-" Oliver was cut off by the sound of the phone ringing.

"This is (Name)," You answered.

"(Name), can you come down here? We just had to two kids show up and we're full. It's been going around the grapevine that you've started taking in some kids. Could you possibly squeeze in a few more?" You glanced over at your dining room table where Oliver, Jacques, Nickolas, Mogui, and Natalie were eating their breakfast.

"Yeah. I mean I'm taking care of five kids. What's two more?"

"I knew I could count on you!" Your coworker crowed.

"I'll be there shortly."

"Where are you going Mommy?" Oliver asked.

"Something's come up at work. Jacques, you're in charge until I come back." You called as you snagged your keys and rushed out the door.

~Time skip to child care place~

"They're right over here." Your coworker pointed to two boys who were sitting apart from the other children in the room.

"What are their names?" You asked.

"The dark haired one is Jason Jones. The blonde is Andrew Williams. They're brothers."

"What's their story?" You asked.

"We have no idea. They just turned up at the police station about a week ago covered in blood. We have no idea where they came from, where their parents are, or if they're even alive. (Name), I know that it was me who called you in on this but are you sure that you want to do this? These two are… difficult to handle."

"Like I said, I've got five kids currently at my house. What's a few more?"

"I sure hope you haven't bitten off more than you can chew, (Nickname)." You smiled tiredly.

"Me too, me too."

~Back to your house~

"Jacques, let me have the remote! My show's on!" Oliver whined. Jacques easily held Oliver back.

"Non, Mom left me in charge."

"But I wanna watch my show!" Natalie and Mogui watched Oliver and Jacques battle over the television remote. The battle ended when Nickolas snatched up the remote and changed to channel to some boring Cold War movie.

"Guys, I'm home!" You called as you opened your front door.

"Mommy, Jacques wouldn't let me watch my show and then Nickolas came and stole the remote!" Oliver cried as he clung to your legs. He was about to say more when he noticed the two boys who followed you in. "Who are they?"

"This is Jason Jones and his brother Andrew Williams. They'll be staying with us for a while until their family or some other living relative can be located." Natalie tottled over to you and tugged on your shirt.

"What's that mean?" She asked.

"Jason and Andrew are going to stay with me for a while."

"Like me and big brother?"

"Exactly." It was at that point that Jason opened his mouth and said a long string of things that would make a sailor blush. You turned toward Jason slowly, a dark purple aura surrounding you.

"I'm sorry young man but there is a strict no swearing policy in this house." Jason rolled his red eyes.

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it *****?" You smiled sweetly.

"Come and find out." You gripped him by the back of his leather jacket and dragged him to the bathroom. By the time he realized what was going to happen it was too late.

"What? No! You can't do this! I have rights!" Jason started thrashing about wildly. For being only ten, he was surprisingly strong. You shut the bathroom door and locked it. You grinned sadistically as you held your weapon of choice aloft… a bar of soap. But it was not just any bar of soap. It was Ivory* soap. Jason eyes grew wide with horror and he started screaming bloody murder. Outside the door, Andrew could hardly hold in his laughter as you washed his brother's mouth out with soap.

***Ivory soap is apparently one of the worst tasting soaps. A friend of mine had actually gotten to the point to where she could tell which soaps were the least disgusting.**

**So next I'll be doing the 2p!Axis. It's getting kind of creepy though, how do you guys know who I'm going to do next? The first time it was cool, the second time it was weird, the third time it was downright scary. Seriously, are you guys mind readers or something?**


	6. Chapter 6

2p!Axis

Flavio took in the house before him and whistled in appreciation.

"I like this place." He purred. Luciano growled as he smacked his brother upside the head.

"Shut it. We've got a job to do." Luciano snarled. Kuro rolled his eyes at the Italian brothers' antics.

"What's the plan, Lutz?" Kuro asked. Lutz, a nine-year-old boy with cold blue eyes, blonde hair, and a body covered with scars, rolled his shoulders to loosen up.

"The plan is simple. We knock."

Your POV

You were awakened by the sound of something shattering downstairs. You sat up in your bed and listened. A floor board creaked in the kitchen. Someone was in your house. Snatching up your Louisville slugger, you crept downstairs. Hearing hushed whispers from the kitchen, you flicked on the lights. Five heads turned toward you. You held the bat out before you in a threatening manner.

"Hold it right there. I've got a weapon and I'm not afraid to use it." You announced. A blonde boy with a heavily scared face stepped forward.

"We did knock, Ms. (Last name)." Your (color) eyes hardened but you did lower your bat.

"Why are you in my house?" You demanded. The blonde boy spread his hands and took another step toward you.

"Now ma'am, let's not allow this to get ugly. Hand over your valuables and we'll leave." He said.

"Or what? You're just kids." You said. A soft click sounded from behind you. A boy of about eight with short black hair and blood red eyes held a gun up to your back.

"Or it could end unpleasantly for you." Lutz promised.

"Mommy?" Oliver's voice came from the stairs.

"Go back to bed, sweetie. Mommy is just getting a drink of water."

"You really are a bad liar, Mom." Jacques said. "There's a bathroom next to your room." Before you could say anything, the phone in the living room rang. Ignoring the oddly unchildlike children who were attempting to rob you, you answered your phone.

"(Name) (Last name) speaking."

"(Name)? Listen, some kids ran away from one of our houses and we were wondering if you could keep an eye out for them."

"Sure, what do they look like?" You asked, turning to glare at the five intruders.

"One kid is Asian. His name's Kuro. He's got red eyes so he's not easy to forget. Two are German. The younger one is Lutz. The elder one is Lanzo. Both boys are blonde but Lutz is super scarred up. The last two are Italian twins. Flavio is the older brother. He's also a blonde. He has red eyes and a total fashion bug. His brother is Luciano. Out of all of these kids, little Luci is the most dangerous. He's a suspect in over twenty mysterious disappearances."

"I'll let you know if I see them." You said, hanging up.

"Who was it?" Kuro, the Asian boy who had been and still was holding a gun on you, demanded.

"Nobody you'd know, Kuro." You said calmly. Kuro nearly dropped the gun in surprise.

"H-How did you-"

"What made you kids run away, hmm? Were the accommodations not to your liking, Flavio?" You asked the very fashionable blonde nine-year-old.

"You've made your point. What are you getting at?" Luciano growled.

"Well for starters-"

"Mommy! I want to go to bed!" Oliver whined. Jacques rolled his eyes.

"Mom, can't we settle this in the morning. Wait," Jacques glanced at the nearest clock, "I mean in a few hours." You nodded.

"Alright. You kids," You turned back to the intruders, "upstairs right now. I still have two spare rooms. Get your little rumps up those stairs and in those beds right now." You ordered. Mogui, who had hereto gone unnoticed, stepped out of the shadows of the hallway.

"What are you doing here, Kuro?" Mogui spat.

"Do you two know each other?" You asked.

"You could say that." Kuro sneered. "He's my brother."

"In that case, Kuro, you'll share a room with Mogui."

"But (Name)," Mogui protested.

"Do not 'but (Name)' me. Bed. Now." You commanded. Without another word, Luciano, Flavio, Lanzo, Lutz, Kuro, Mogui, and Jacques headed off to their respected rooms. Oliver trailed behind you and climbed up into your bed. He curled up close to you and buried his head in your shoulder.

"Mommy, are those boys going to move in with us too?" Oliver asked. You stroked your youngest son's pinkish blonde hair.

"They might, sweetie." After a moment of silence, Oliver gazed up at you with big, watery pink and blue eyes.

"Mommy, you still love me and Jacques best, right?" You smiled at your silly little boy.

"I don't have favorites, sweetie. But you two are some of the easier ones to love." Oliver cuddled closer to you.

"I love you, Mommy." You kissed Oliver's forehead.

"I love you too, baby."

**There's one more character I want to introduce. I'd ask you to guess but you'd never get it right. Her name should be a dead giveaway though She'll come in the next few chapters… sometime.**

**There's one more thing. Since reader-chan is a legal adult, somewhere in her mid-twenties in this, I've been thinking about giving her a boyfriend. (Here's where you guys come in!) I need you to tell me, preferably in a review because those are easier to keep track of, who you would like to have as your boyfriend. The 1p!Character with the most votes wins. Let the voting begin!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I was really surprised at how many votes Spain got. I thought that there would be like one vote for a lot of the characters and two votes for someone random. But did he win? You find out here.**

Chapter 1: School, Babysitters, and Boyfriends

Kuro, Lutz, Lanzo, Luciano, Flavio, Nickolas, Mogui, Andrew, Jason, and Natalie had been living with you for several months before they came forward and all but demanded that you adopt them. While you were happy about it, you sensed that they had reasons for their desire to be adopted that you were not aware of… One the bright side, you had a friend who worked in the school system so by the time the paper work was finished, all your children were enrolled in school. When it was time for the children to go in for lessons on their first day, Oliver refused to let go of your leg.

"Mommy!" He wailed. "Mommy, don't leave me!" It got so bad that several of the teachers had to pry him off of you. By the end of the day when they were dropped off by the school bus, however, all Oliver would talk about was how nice his teacher was and how much fun he had had. The other boys were a bit more challenging to get details from but they proved to be just as, if not more, interesting.

"How'd school go?" You asked as Luciano slinked into the kitchen.

"Fine I guess. It's stupid that we have to go though. I mean why do you care?"

"I care because I have a soft heart for underdogs." You said while slicing an apple. "Did you meet anyone interesting?"

"Yeah. There was this girl. She came up to me at lunch and just handed me a flower." Luciano said casually, opening the fridge door and snagging a box of Chinese food.

"What kind of flower?" You asked.

"A red tulip." You paused in your work, intrigued.

"Are you sure?"

"Course I am." Luciano growled. "Why? Does that mean something?" You smiled.

"Each flower has a meaning. The meaning of a red tulip is 'I love you.'" Luciano snorted and dropped the red tulip he had been carrying around in his bag in the garbage can. Later you would notice it was missing.

~Time skip to sometime in the evening~

You were just sitting down to watch (favorite show) when your phone rang.

"(Name) speaking." You answered politely.

"Ciao bella, it's me." Lovino, your longtime friend and sort of boyfriend, said. About the sort of part, several months ago, your friends Lovino and Antonio had both confessed that they had feelings for you. You were unsure of which one, if either, you had feelings for. So although it felt like bigamy, it had been decided that Lovino and Antonio would 'trade off', each desperately trying to win your heart.

"Hey Lovi, um, why are you calling me?" You asked.

"It's our date night, (Name)."

"Oh, right!"

"You forgot didn't you," Lovino sighed.

"Yeah," you admitted, "but I recently, uh, 'found' some kids so I really can't leave them alone."

"Couldn't you hire a babysitter or something?" Lovino demanded. It had been too long since your last date together and he was worried that Antonio would win your heart first.

"It's a little late for that," you murmured, glancing at your watch which read half passed five.

"One of my brother's friends just started babysitting. I'll call her and be over in an hour. Be ready." With that, Lovino hung up.

"Okay then, I guess I better get ready." You murmured to the quiet room.

~Fifty six minutes and twenty eight seconds later~

You were just putting the finishing touches on your makeup when the doorbell rang.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" You called as you dashed down the stairs. When you answered the door, you were not met by Lovino but with a girl of about fifteen with long auburn hair, bright hazel eyes, and a blue messenger bag slung across her body.

"Ah, you must be the babysitter." The girl nodded cheerfully.

"That's right. I'm Hope.*" The babysitter said.

"Well, my boyfriend will be here any moment and you should meet my kids before I leave. Follow me." Hope followed you into the living room where your curious children were assembled.

"Here they are, my babies." You said as you told the young sitter every child's name. "Got it?" Hope saluted.

"How hard can it be Ms. (Last name)?" You smiled slightly. After living with the kids for several months, you were pretty sure her attitude would be different by the time you came home.

"You have no idea…" You muttered. A honk came from outside. You started making your way to the door shouting extra instructions to Hope along the way: "There's money to buy pizza in the kitchen. Luciano and Flavio will only eat (pizza establishment nearest to where you live). Natalie gets scared really easily. Oliver likes to be sung to sleep. Jacques knows the songs he likes. If Jason curses, feel free to wash his mouth out with soap. Nickolas-"

"(Name), come on we're going to be late!" Lovino forcibly dragged you out of your house and out to his car.

"They'll be fine. Did you give the sitter your cell phone number?" Lovino asked.

"Crap, I forgot all about it!" You made a motion to get out of Lovino's car only to have him lock you in.

"Never mind. They know the emergency numbers. They'll be fine." Lovino promised. You sighed.

"I hope so."

Hope's POV

Except for a brief hazing ritual, which involved twelve artfully placed marbles, a Tonka truck, and several bags of flour, Hope's night was rather uneventful. Dinner time had come and gone and the kids were all in their rooms, though it was unlikely that many were actually sleeping. Hope was sitting on the couch in the living room studying for her history exam when a clap of thunder shook the house.

"Hope!" Oliver shrieked as he flew down the stairs in fright.

"What's wrong?" Hope asked as Oliver buried his face into her blue sweatshirt.

"It's the storm," Jacques said, following his adopted brother more carefully, "he's afraid of thunder." Hope smiled down at Oliver and stroked his hair.

"Ah, astraphobia, it's really common in kids your age." She said.

"What's astraphobia?" Oliver asked. Without either Hope or Oliver noticing, the other boys and Natalie padded into the living room.

"It's a big word that means the sound of thunder scares you." Hope explained. "When I was a kid, I used to be afraid of thunder too. But one day, my mom was cuddling me during a storm and she told me that thunder was just the sound of God moving His furniture around."

"God must really like to redecorate during the spring." Nickolas said dryly. Hope smiled.

"My mom also taught me a really cool song about dealing with fear. How about we all go upstairs and I'll sing it for you?" Once he was promised a song, Oliver was halfway up the stairs in the blink of an eye.

"Okay~" he chirped. Natalie shyly grabbed Hope's hand and together the two girls followed Oliver into his room. The other boys, having nothing else to do, soon followed.

Your POV

You and Lovino had gotten back later than you had expected but you both had a wonderful time. The house was completely dark save for the living room. When you entered the room, you found Hope the babysitter pacing and chanting facts about World War II.

"Is everyone asleep?" You whispered. Hope jumped at the sound of your voice.

"Ah, yes, they are. It stormed a bit a few hours ago and Oliver freaked out but I sang to him and he calmed down."

"I'm impressed, you managed to keep the house from burning down." You were only joking but you noticed Hope's hazel eyes slid off to the side when you were speaking, a sign that she was hiding something.

"How bad?" You asked. Hope winced.

"Don't worry Ms. (Last name), I cleaned it up. Jacques insisted that he would cook for us instead of ordering out. It was only a little house fire, luckily you had an extinguisher nearby and half a gallon of paint left over from when you painted the kitchen. You can't even tell it happened." Hope assured you. Just to be sure, you peeked in the kitchen. Hope had been telling the truth. Actually, your kitchen almost looked better.

"Thanks for watching my kids, Hope." You said handing over Hope's money. Hope grinned.

"It was no problem Ms. (Last name). I actually had a lot of fun. Who knew that Luciano could dance so well?"

"Do you need a ride home or something?" You asked, motherly instincts taking over yet again. Hope shook her head as a soft knock sounded on your door.

"I actually called my boyfriend and he said he'd give me a lift home, that's him now. Goodnight Ms. (Last name)." Hope said, heading for the door.

"Just (Name), please. Ms. (Last name) makes me feel old."

"Okay, goodnight (Name)." Hope said, leaving you alone in your house. You trudged upstairs and checked on all your kids. At first, you freaked out a little. None of the children were in their respected rooms. It wasn't until you came to the end of the hallway that you found out why. Every single one of your children were curled up, in some position or other, on your bed, waiting to you to return home. You smiled softly and as you closed the door. Without waking them, you went around and kissed their forehead or cheek.

"Goodnight everyone. I love you." You whispered.

***That's right, I am your awesome babysitter! I must say, you have amazing taste. I didn't use my real name because it bugs me reading it over and over again and I thought hope sounded better.**

**So Spain sort of won but he has to share the prize (you) with Romano. Who will win fair reader-chan's heart? Not even I know the answer to that one.**

**By the way, I am doing requests for reader inserts. I'm not exactly sure how this works but if you like my writing and want me to write something in particular don't be afraid to let me know.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry for the long absence, I kind of lost my writing mojo (I got writer's block). School will be starting up for me very soon and when that happens, I will probably have more time to write. Normally it would be that in summer I would have more time but I generally put up more chapters when my time is constrained.**

Chapter 2: A Hot Spanish Date, the Amusement Park, and One Amateur Spy Service

Antonio snuck up behind you and snaked his arms around your waist.

"(Name), don't forget, we have our date tonight." He purred in your ear. You turned around in his grip and put your arms around Antonio's neck.

"Where are we going?" You asked. Your boyfriend grinned.

"The amusement park. They have churros." You smiled and kissed Antonio on the cheek.

"I'm looking forward to it~"

~Later~

Hope's hazel eyes slid from you to Antonio and back again.

"So you're dating two people?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't that considered bigamy?"

"It's only bigamy if you marry more than one person." You stated. "I looked it up." You and Hope looked over to where Antonio was playing Sorry with Andrew, Jason, and Jacques.

"You have a very complicated love life." Hope muttered. Antonio glanced down at his watch and stood up from the coffee table.

"(Name), we better get going." He said. You nodded and grabbed your bag.

"There's money for takeout taped to the fridge and the emergency numbers-"

"Are beside the phone." Hope finished for you. "You two have fun~" Hope grinned as she shut the door.

Hope's POV

"That tomato sniffing bastard better not touch my mother." Luciano snarled as he paced across the living room floor.

"Tomato sniffing, huh? A bit stronger than taco eating. How come you weren't this vocal about Lovino?" Hope enquired.

"Because he was Italian!" Luciano asserted. Hope rolled her eyes. "How, oh how, are we going to make sure that tomato sniffer doesn't touch our mother?" Luciano asked, turning to his fellow adoptees.

"How?" Jason asked, reaching for his bat that he had added nails to.

"We follow them!" Luciano declared.

"And just how are you planning to get to the amusement park?" Hope asked. Luciano looked at her like it was obvious.

"You will drive us, naturally."

"I don't have a car."

"Mom and Antonio took Antonio's car. You can use Mom's." Andrew said as he threw open the front door.

"But I don't have a license." Hope protested.

"What do you need a license for?" Oliver enquired.

"It's illegal to drive a car without a license."

"It's only illegal if you get caught." Nickolas deadpanned as he, Jacques, Kuro, Mogui, and Lutz dragged Hope outside.

"Why are you all going along with this?" Hope demanded. Lanzo looked up at Hope.

"Because Mutti was the only person who ever wanted us and we want to make sure nothing bad happens to her." The quiet boy declared in a loud whisper. Hope was silent for a moment then she nodded her head.

"That's really sweet guys but now there's another problem. There are twelve of you. You're not all going to fit inside (Name)'s car." Hope observed. Flavio grinned up at his babysitter.

"Of course we'll all fit, we'll just have to sit on some laps~" Flavio chirped.

~At the amusement park~

Thirteen heads peered at you and Antonio from behind a telephone pole while the two of you waited in line for one of the rides.

"It looks like they're fine." Hope said. Luciano and Jacques watched Antonio and you critically.

"Maybe they are for now but it's starting to get dark," Luciano observed. A light crept into Hope's eyes as she gazed up at the sky.

"You're right. I think I have an idea of how to test whether or not Antonio is deserving of your mother…"

Your POV

You took a bite of your cinnamon dusted churro and smiled in contentment.

"This has been a great date Antonio." You said. Your boyfriend grinned, pleased that you were having a good time.

"I'm glad we've been able to spend some time together, chika." Antonio murmured as he helped you into the Ferris wheel compartment the two of you would be sharing.

"Me too." You said. The ride operator shut the door of the ride and the two of you started to move upward. You and Antonio looked out the windows, taking in the view of the park.

"Look," Antonio said, pointing at the sky, "the first star of the night."

"Where?" Before you could try to find the star, the ride lurched to a stop as the power for the entire park was shut off. You and Antonio hung suspended in the darkening twilight of the sky, stuck until help could come. In an effort to comfort you, Antonio took off his jacket and placed it around your shoulders. You cuddled up close to him and inhaled his scent of afternoon sunshine and fresh tomatoes. Antonio placed one arm around your shoulders and started humming the opening bars to _When You Wish Upon A Star_. It took several hours for everything to get up and running again and for the two of you to be let off the ride, but they were some of the best and most romantic hours of your life.

Hope's POV

"And what exactly were you trying to accomplish by all that?" Luciano demanded when Hope marched everyone back to your car so they wouldn't get caught.

"The point of all that was to prove that Antonio is a good guy," Hope explained. "If (Name) had been dating a loser, he would have tried something in the dark. But Antonio didn't. Ergo, he's a good guy." Luciano rolled his eyes.

"My idea was better." He grumbled.

"Yeah, setting his pants on fire made _way_ more sense than my idea." Hope snorted. Oliver gazed back that the amusement park before getting into the car.

"I'm glad he passed the test." Oliver whispered so low that none of the others could hear him. "Because at the end of the day, I just want Mommy to be happy even if it would be without us."

~At your house later that night~

When you and Antonio arrived at your house and opened the front door, you noticed that everyone was conspicuously busy. Jacques, Kuro, and Andrew were watching T.V., Jason, Nicholas, and Mogui were arguing politics, Oliver was singing the cupcake song to Hope, and Lutz was watching Flavio and Lanzo braid Hope and Natalie's hair.

"Did you all have a good night?" You asked as Flavio finished with Hope's hair. Hope grinned at the children surrounding her and nodded.

"We did. How about you two? Anything interesting happen?" Hope asked.

"The power for the whole park when out for a while." Antonio said.

"Oh, weird," Flavio whistled. Hope glanced down at her watch and blotted upward.

"It's that late already? Geez, I have a science and math test tomorrow!"

"Do you need a ride home?" Antonio asked. Hope nodded.

"I was going to call my boyfriend but that'd be great. Thanks." You paid Hope and Antonio kissed you on the cheek.

"Pleasant dreams, chika." Antonio said, shutting the door behind him. You gazed down at your kids and smiled.

"Alight guys, clear out. It's way passed your bedtimes." You said, attempting to herd them up the stairs.

"Tell us a story first Mommy!" Oliver demanded, stubbornly refusing to move passed the fist step. You thought about it a minute then agreed. After all, one story surely wouldn't hurt.

"Which one?" You asked, moving to the couch so everyone could be near you.

"The one about Sun and Moon," Oliver requested, climbing up beside you. Several of the boys groaned at Oliver's request.

"Okay, but then it's off to bed." You said. You made sure everyone was on the couch and comfortable before you started your story.

"It all started after the creation of the world… Sun, being the most beautiful and perfect thing in the sky, believed he was the most amazing creature ever created. The gods saw this and began to murmur among themselves.

"'Sun is too full of himself,' they said. They complained that Sun was too bright. They said that some plants and animals needed darkness to live but because Sun was so brilliant they did not live very long.

"The gods decided that the problem of the animals could be solved with the creation of another being called Moon. When Sun met Moon for the first time, he was struck by her simple beauty. Unlike the other things around him, Moon took in Sun's light and then released her own pearly opalescence. Instantly he fell in love with her. He sang her sweet songs of love and promised only she would have his total devotion.

"The gods saw this and realized they had found their way to humble Sun.

"'You two cannot be together,' they said, 'when you are both in the sky, you cause confusion among the people, plants, and animals. You, Sun, shall be the king of the day and you, Moon, shall be the queen of the night.'

"And so Sun ruled the day, and ruled it well, but nothing he saw during his reign of the day made him as happy as seeing his beloved Moon. To this day they only share the sky rarely, on the solar and lunar eclipses, and yet they somehow managed to create their children, the stars." Several of the boys made gagging sounds when you finished the story.

"That's such a beautiful story." Oliver sniffed.

"Mutti, is love like that real?" Asked Lanzo. You smiled down at your quietest son.

"Of course it is sweetie," You said as you gently stroked his white blonde hair. Luciano rolled his eyes.

"Idiota," he grumbled, "it was just a story." You wrapped an arm around the grumpy Italian boy and pulled him close to you.

"It may be just a story but love like that does exist. That's how much I love each of you." Luciano tried to escape your iron clutches but he failed. "Now, it's late. Off to bed with you all." You said, helping your sons and daughter up the stairs to their rooms.

**The story of Sun and Moon is mine. I was surfing in cyberspace when I came across a really cool animated picture of a little girl asking her mother to 'tell me the story of the sun that loved the moon so much that he would die each night to let her breathe.' I tried to see if that story was real and as it turned out, there were like a million different stories all under the same name so I figured it would just be easier if I wrote my own.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 3: Cupcakes and (Name)'s Birthday

Your phone woke you up at five in the morning.

"Hey (Name)!" Your coworker said cheerfully. "We need you to come into today." You sighed. It was a Saturday and you had been hoping to spend the day with your kids. So much for that idea…

"Okay, just let me call the babysitter." You said before hanging up on your coworker. You thanked your lucky stars that Hope had no social life.

~Hope's POV~

Hope, Natalie, and Flavio were lying on their stomachs, working on coloring some pictures when Oliver, Jacques, Lutz entered the living room.

"(Name)'s birthday is coming up," Lutz announced. Hope glanced up.

"What are you guys going to do?" Andrew rolled onto his side on the sofa.

"We have to do something?" Hope sighed.

"Okay listen up, you can't just mention that it your mother's birthday and then not do anything."

"And what do you suggest we do oh wise one?" Luciano snarled. A smile spread across Hope's face.

"Simple. We'll throw her a party. I'll call Lovino and Antonio to ask for their help."

"Should we have a cake?" Natalie asked. Hope shook her head.

"Nah, cakes are overrated. We'll make cupcakes instead."

"We're making what?" Oliver's adorable little face wrinkled up in befuddlement at the new word like he had just bitten into a fruit and wasn't quite sure yet if he liked the taste.

"Yeah," Hope explained, "they're like normal cakes but smaller. Cup sized." Lutz smirked and let his eyes rove over his babysitter's chest.

"Excellent." He said, leering.

"Go, get started then." Jason drawled without taking his eyes off the television.

"The only way you could have made that more insulting was if you told her to make you a sandwich." Lanzo muttered. Jason smirked.

"Thanks for reminding me."

~Later in the kitchen~

"We should put this in it," Oliver chirped as he handed a container of bleach to Hope.

"How about we don't and say we did." Hope said, carefully hiding the bleach so Oliver couldn't spike the cupcakes. Standing back from the sink, she took in her and Oliver's combined handiwork.

"We've done well, I think we're ready."

~Your POV~

When you came home from a long day at work, you were exhausted. Pushing open the front door, you realized that the house was completely dark. This unnerved you.

"Hope? Oliver? Jacques? Natalie? Anybody?" You called as you walked through the foyer and into the living room. "Hello? Is anyone here?" You flicked the lights on.

"Surprise!" A myriad of voices shouted at you. Oliver and Natalie popped up from behind the couch and hugged your legs.

"Happy birthday Mommy!" They said together.

"Feliz cumpleanos." Antonio said, hugging you.

"Buon compleanno, (Name)." Lovino said, holding a bouquet of (favorite flowers) out to you.

"Aw, thank you everyone," you said, smiling. Hope slunk into the kitchen unnoticed and came back with a platter of colorful cupcakes. Oliver picked up a blue and pink cupcake that matched his eyes and handed it to you.

"So, how old are you?" Andrew asked. Hope smacked him on the back of his head.

"It's rude to ask a woman her age." She reprimanded. Nickolas picked up a cupcake that look strikingly similar to him and bit into it. After much cupcake eating, it was time for Hope, Lovino, and Antonio to go home.

"Buono notte bella," Lovino said, kissing your cheek. Antonio went one better and kissed your lips. Hope decided just to give you a very tight hug.

"Do you need a ride home sweetie?" You asked her. Hope smiled and shook her head.

"Thanks but no. I already called someone."

"Who?"

"My boyfriend." You nodded, a playful glint creeping into your (color) eyes.

"Ah yes, the elusive male companion. I've heard so much about him yet never met him. I'm beginning to think he doesn't exist."

"Next time I babysit, I'll drag him along." Hope promised.

"Bye Hope!" Oliver said as he hugged her waist. Hope grinned down at him and patted his head.

"Bye Ollie."

Later, when it was time for bed, you were reading your children a storybook. Since it was a special night, everyone was allowed to sleep in your bed. Lanzo's small hands tugged at your nightshirt.

"Mutti, I love you." He muttered quietly. You smiled down at him and kissed his pale blonde hair.

"I love you too sweetie."

"Me too, Mommy!" Oliver trumpeted. "I love you lots!"

"I love you too." Sweet little Natalie announced. Nickolas muttered something that could be interpreted as, 'Love you.'

"We love you too." Flavio said, speaking for himself and his brother.

"And us." Andrew and Jason said not to be outdone.

"You drive a nice car and cook good food." Lutz said which was probably as close as he ever got to say the three most powerful words in any language. Jacques didn't say anything because he had already fallen asleep. You smiled at all the children who were awake.

"I love you all." You said.

"Will you all shut up and go to sleep?" Jacques asked exasperatedly. You smiled and kissed his nose.

"'Kay everyone, light's out." You said. Nickolas turned on his side, Flavio and Oliver fought to be the one to cuddle under your arm and Natalie snuggled next to you with her white teddy bear. You turned the lamp off.

"I discovered something today, Mommy." Oliver said from his position just beside Flavio.

"And what was that sweetie?" You asked.

"I really like cupcakes."

"Go. To. Sleep!" Jacques commanded, affectively stopping all conversation until Oliver and Flavio started giggling uncontrollably. Jacques huffed out an annoyed sigh. So much for getting any sleep.

**Yeah so I might have introduced Oliver to cupcakes. Oops. Not my wisest decision ever… Anyway, happy birthday reader-chan! Or happy unbirthday… There's several billion people on this earth with an Internet connection, odds are someone will read this on their birthday.**


End file.
